The teenager made the move south to join the Birmingham outfit in the summer after a 49-goal season for the Ibrox club’s youth sides and at international level with Scotland. One of those goals arrived in the Scottish Youth Cup final win over Hearts at Hampden Park.

Rangers were keen on keeping him with head of academy Craig Mulholland confirming the club’s “preference” for the player to “continue his journey at Rangers, we also respect his decision”. Since moving down south, Wilson has impressed and continued to improve, scoring goals for Villa’s Under-18s and Under-21s, including a hat-trick against Brentford in a win in the FA Youth Cup which caught the eye.

“We are delighted to see Rory sign his first professional contract,” Villa’s academy manager Mark Harrison said. “We have all been really pleased with his development since he has joined us, which has now seen him involved in the Under-21s on a regular basis. Rory has continued to score goals at all levels since he joined us in the summer, and we look forward to watching him develop over the coming years.”

Prior to the move to Villa, Wilson signalled his intentions and his desire to “prove” himself south of the border.

"Rangers have been brilliant for me,” he said. “There's no getting away from that. But it's time to move on and get to the next level. I want to go down south and try and prove myself and become a top player and that's what I am going to do."

Former Rangers 49-goal ace signs first professional contract with Premier League side

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